Mayoral candidates clash at forum

Editor’s note: A story on the six Adrian City Commission candidates’ responses to questions will follow the candidates’ forum scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 10, at the Adrian Senior Center.

Adrian mayoral candidate Jim Berryman announced Tuesday evening that he had filed a suit in Lenawee County Circuit Court to prevent the city of Adrian from putting money in its just-approved oil royalties trust.

Berryman’s announcement came during a candidates forum at Siena Heights University.At the same forum, Mayor Greg DuMars, whom Berryman is trying to unseat, accused Adrian College of violating its nonprofit status because its president had endorsed Berryman.

Berryman’s announcement and DuMars’ accusation came near the end of the forum, which included discussion of quality of life, business development, dwindling resources, the Adrian Public Library and the proposed Headlee override, as well as what to do with the oil royalties. The forum, sponsored by the Adrian Area Chamber of Commerce and the Adrian Senior Center, also featured the six candidates for the Adrian City Commission. Another, similar, forum will take place from 10 a.m. to noon Thursday, Oct. 10, at the Adrian Senior Center.

Berryman’s suit asks the court to order the city to have a public hearing on the oil royalties trust.

“How you can pass something this important without having one public hearing is beyond me,” Berryman said.

Berryman said voters would not approve a proposed Headlee override in November knowing that the city has $3.2 million in its fund balance and at the same time is putting the oil royalties in a trust.

“We just voted last night to put all the oil and gas revenue in a savings account at the same time we’re asking you to write a bigger check for your property taxes,” Berryman said. “I don’t think (voters are) going to buy it.”

DuMars defended the oil royalties trust, saying it eventually could provide as much as $500,000 a year to the city.

Speaking about Adrian College, DuMars said actions by college president Jeffrey Docking had caused lifetime friendships to be “severed” and community relations to be “fractured.”

“The president of Adrian College openly endorsed my (opponent), which is a violation of 501(c)(3) (IRS nonprofit) regulations,” DuMars said.

DuMars said Docking had “told at least three candidates” that he was going to change the mayor, the city commission and the administration.

DuMars said an Adrian College staff member passed out a flyer with the names of four candidates on it, not all six running for city commission, and both mayoral candidates.

“Now if you want an outsider getting involved in your community, they had 90 students turn in applications to change their (voter registration),” DuMars said.

In an interview last week, Frank Hribar, Adrian College vice president for enrollment and student affairs, said no college official distributed partisan flyers.

“We as a college know what we’re able to do and not able to do,” Hribar said.

Hribar also said another accusation, that Docking had been in a parking lot outside WOW Cafe at Adrian College telling people to vote for Berryman before the Berryman campaign kickoff Sept. 18, was false and that Docking only came to the event after Berryman started speaking.In an Oct. 6 email to The Daily Telegram, Docking said: “For the record, Adrian College takes no position and endorses no candidates for the upcoming mayoral election or City Council election.”

On what appear to be a couple of Berryman’s Facebook pages supplied to The Daily Telegram by DuMars, Docking endorses Berryman.

After the forum, Berryman said Docking has a right to support him as an individual and he accepts that support. Berryman said the mayor was “going after” one of the “three major economic forces in the city.”

Berryman also gave The Daily Telegram a copy of an Adrian College catering special events form showing the expenses to rent WOW Cafe for his campaign kickoff. Berryman said the event was sponsored entirely by his campaign.

After the forum, DuMars said, “I’m very disappointed in my opponent, but I’m not surprised,” regarding the suit to stop the oil royalties trust.

DuMars reiterated the charge that Adrian College staff had passed out a campaign flyer.